The second round of the Harvest Series headlined Friday night harness action at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The series, which is for Ontario-sired three-year-old colts and geldings that are non-winners of $30,000 during the 2020 season as of September 30, included three $17,000 second leg divisions for trotters and pair for the pacers.
Delightful Terror ($19.30) and driver Jonathan Drury pulled off a mild 8-1 upset in the fastest pacing division, which featured all three opening leg winners including 3-5 favourite National Sport.
Delightful Terror blasted off the gate from post eight to secure the early lead through a 27-second first quarter before Beach Demon, one of the first round winners, swept up from third. He cleared at the :55 half-mile mark and led past three-quarters in 1:23.1 while Cold Creek Cabo, who also won his opening leg division last week, began to roll first-over.
Beach Demon continued to lead into the stretch, but the pocket-pulling Delightful Terror prevailed in the end, finishing first in 1:52.3 by one length over rival Cold Creek Cabo with 52-1 longshot Heart On My Sleeve rallying from last and ducking inside to get third. National Sport, who was handicapped by the trailing 10-hole, finished eighth.
The Shawn Steacy trainee, who missed by a half-length to Cold Creek Cabo last week, earned his second win from 19 seasonal starts and sixth victory lifetime for owners Shelly MacMillan, Doug Millard Farms and Vivian Bell.
Beyond Better ($3.40) delivered in the first pacing division of the night, as driver Trevor Henry sent the 3-5 favourite on the attack past the half-mile mark and stepped by the pacesetting Wind Blown coming off the final turn. After finishing second in the opening leg, the gelded son of Bettors Delight lowered his lifetime mark by one full second to 1:53.1, with the pylon-skimming 43-1 longshot Machpheus finishing three-quarters of length behind and Wind Blown settling for third. Bob McIntosh trains and co-owns Beyond Better, who is now 4-3-0 from 12 starts in his debut year, with Dave Boyle and Mardon Stables.
The trotters opened the card with Northern Sultan ($21.90) defeating the 3-5 favoured front-stepper Lexus Markus at the wire in 1:58.4, while Franks Angel finished in between for third. With only four of the seven trotters behaving into the first turn, the Murray Brethour trainee followed in the three-hole before rallying home for the half-length score in rein to Chris Christoforou. The homebred Royalty For Life gelding, who was never in contention during the opening leg, notched his second win a dozen lifetime starts for owner Northfields Farm Inc.
Henry picked up another series score, this time on the trotting side, with Donald Leschied's Magics Wizard ($8.60) edging out Archies Star in a career-best 1:56.3. Sent postward as the 3-1 second choice, the homebred E L Titan gelding was on the front briefly after crossing to command from post seven into the first turn. Archies Star then swept to the front near the three-eighths mark and was engaged by 3-5 favourite Oxford Hall as they raced past three-quarters. Down the stretch, Archies Star shook off Oxford Hall, but the Anthony Beaton-trained Magics Wizard rallied outside that pair to notch his second win from 17 starts. Rjs Invictus overtook Oxford Hall for third prize.
The final division went to Moon Bridge ($6.80), who remerged from the pocket in the stretch after leading early on. Driven by Sylvain Filion, the E L Titan colt overhauled the favoured first leg champ Angel Nation to win trotting away by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:57 flat. Cavalier George, another opening leg winner, finished third off cover. Richard Moreau trains Moon Bridge, who now has two triumphs from 12 sophomore starts and four wins overall, for Esa Lahtinen, Janne Korpi and Jussi Hietalahti.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.